Abstract
The present study investigated the usability of whole and partial report of briefly displayed letter arrays as a
diagnostic tool for the assessment of attentional functions. The tool is based on Bundesen’s (1990, 1998, 2002;
Bundesen et al., 2005) theory of visual attention (TVA), which assumes four separable attentional components:
processing speed, working memory storage capacity, spatial distribution of attention, and top-down control. A
number of studies (Duncan et al., 1999; Habekost & Bundesen, 2003; Peers et al., 2005) have already demonstrated
the clinical relevance of these parameters. The present study was designed to examine whether (a) a shortened
procedure bears sufficient accuracy and reliability, (b) whether the procedures reveal attentional constructs with
clinical relevance, and (c) whether the mathematically independent parameters are also empirically independent. In
a sample of 35 young healthy subjects, we found high intraparameter correlations between full- and short-length
tests and sufficient internal consistencies as measured via a bootstrapping method. The clinical relevance of the TVA
parameters was demonstrated by significant correlations with established clinical tests measuring similar constructs.
The empirical independence of the four TVA parameters is suggested by nonsignificant or, in the case of processing
speed and working memory storage capacity, only modest correlations between the parameter values.
diagnostic tool for the assessment of attentional functions. The tool is based on Bundesen’s (1990, 1998, 2002;
Bundesen et al., 2005) theory of visual attention (TVA), which assumes four separable attentional components:
processing speed, working memory storage capacity, spatial distribution of attention, and top-down control. A
number of studies (Duncan et al., 1999; Habekost & Bundesen, 2003; Peers et al., 2005) have already demonstrated
the clinical relevance of these parameters. The present study was designed to examine whether (a) a shortened
procedure bears sufficient accuracy and reliability, (b) whether the procedures reveal attentional constructs with
clinical relevance, and (c) whether the mathematically independent parameters are also empirically independent. In
a sample of 35 young healthy subjects, we found high intraparameter correlations between full- and short-length
tests and sufficient internal consistencies as measured via a bootstrapping method. The clinical relevance of the TVA
parameters was demonstrated by significant correlations with established clinical tests measuring similar constructs.
The empirical independence of the four TVA parameters is suggested by nonsignificant or, in the case of processing
speed and working memory storage capacity, only modest correlations between the parameter values.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Pages (from-to) | 832-842 |
| ISSN | 1355-6177 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2005 |